Medical Terminology, Prefixes

Prefixes

- word elements attached to the beginning of Medical Terms that modify the meaning. - They indicate time, position, direction, size, number, quantity, and location

Prefixes indicating direction

1. ab == away from 2. ad == toward 3. circum == around 4. dia == through 5. trans == through / across 6. para == near, beside 7. ecto == outside 8. exo == outside 9. extra == outside 10. endo == inside 11. en == inside 12. intra == inside 13. medi == middle 14. later == side 15. Peri == around

Prefixes indicating position

1. epi == above, on top 2. super == above 3. supra == above 4. sub == under 5. infra == under 6. hypo == under, below 7. pre == in front of 8. post == behind 9. retro == backward, behind 10. inter == between 11. intra == inside 12. meta == after or beyond

Prefixes indicating size

1. macro == large 2. micro == small 3. hemi == half 4. semi == half

Prefixes indicating number

1. mono == one 2. uni == one 3. primi == first 4. bi == two 5. diplo == double 6. tri == three 7. tetra == four 8. quadri == four 9. multi == many 10. poly == many 11. pan == all 12. null == none

Prefixes that indicate time

1. pre == before 2. post == after 3. ante == before 4. peri == around 5. noct == night

Bacill

A little stick

supra

Above Ex. supra ren al = above the kidney

Re

Again

Archae

Ancient

Peri

Around Ex. peri cardi um = around the heart

Noto

Back

Meta

Change

Platy

Flat

intra en endo

Inside (Ex. intra muscul ar = inside the muscle intra crani al = inside the skull Ex. en cephal itis = inflammation of the brain Ex. endo cardi um = inside the heart)

Allo

Other, different from the normal

Por

Pore

Perman

Remaining

Equ

Same

Mollusc

Soft

de

Taken away (Ex. de contamination)

Api

The tip

Sym Con

Together

Vestigi

Trace

Aniso

Unequal, Dissimilar

Planktos

Wandering

Dinos

Whirling

super

above Ex. super ior = pertaining to the upper part

hyper

above normal Ex. hyper glyc emia = high blood sugar

epi

above, on top Ex. epi gastr ic = on top of the stomach

post

after Ex. post nat al

meta

after or beyond Ex. meta carp al

anti

against (Ex. anti bio tic = against living organisms)

contra

against, opposite (Ex. contra ception = against pregnancy contra lateral = opposite side)

pan

all (Ex. pan cyto penia = decrease number of all types of cells)

circum

around Ex. circum duction

peri

around Ex. peri nat al

ab

away from Ex. ab duction

retro

backward, behind Ex. retro periton eal retro version

mal

bad Ex. mal nutrition = bad nutrition

dys

bad, difficult, painful Ex. dys ur ia = painful urination dys pnea = difficult breathing

ante

before Ex. ante part um

pre

before Ex. pre nat al

post

behind Ex. poster ior

hypo

below normal Ex. hypo glyc emia = low blood sugar

inter

between Ex. inter cost al

cryo

cold, freezing (Ex. cryo surgery)

hetero

different hetero sex ual

diplo Bi Amphi

double (Ex. dipl opia = double vision)

pseudo

false (Ex. pseudo cyesis = False Pregnancy)

tachy

fast Ex. tachy card ia = fast heart

oligo

few, scanty (Ex. oligo ur ia = small volume of urine)

primi Protos

first (Ex. primi gravida = first pregnancy)

quadri Quatr tetra

four (Ex. quadri plegia = paralysis of the four limbs Ex. tetra dactyly = Having four fingers or toes)

semi hemi

half (Ex. semi circul ar = half a circle Ex. hemi plegia = paralysis of half the body)

thermo

heat (Ex. thermo meter)

pre

in front of Ex. pre vertebr al

intra

inside Ex. intra muscul ar

macro

large Ex. macro cyte = large cell

multi poly

many (Ex. multi gravida= woman got pregnant many times Ex. poly phobia = fear of many things Poly gamy = marrying more than one wife)

medi

middle Ex. medi al = towards the middle line

steno

narrow (Ex. sten osis = narrowing)

para

near, beside Ex. para nas al = near the nose

neo

new (Ex. neo nate = new born Ex. neo nat ologist = specialist in new born)

noct

night Ex. noct ur ia

null

none (Ex. nulli para = woman never gave birth)

eu

normal, good Ex. eu pnea = normal breathing

uni mono

one (Ex. uni cellular = one cell Ex. mono cyte = cell with one nucleus)

extra exo ecto

outside (Ex. extra crani al = outside the skull Ex. ex ophthalm ia = bulging of the eye Ex. ecto pic)

iso homo

same, equal (Ex. iso metr ic Ex. homo graft)

later

side Ex. later al = towards the side

brady

slow Ex. brady card ia = slow heart

micro

small Ex. micro scope = instrument to view small things micro organism = small organism

tri

three (Ex. tri ceps = three heads)

dia

through Ex. dia rrhea

trans

through / across Ex. trans abdomin al = through the abdomen

ad

toward Ex. ad duction ad ren al

bi

two (Ex. bi later al = both sides bi ceps = two heads)

infra

under Ex. infra cost al

sub

under Ex. sub cutane ous

hypo

under, below Ex. hypo derm ic

a an

without (Ex. a pnea = stopping of breathing Ex. an esthesia = without sensation)

Prefix examples

●pre = before ●post = after ●epi = above or on top ●sub = under or below ●hyper = above normal ●hypo = below normal ●hemi = half ●dys = bad or difficult or painful ●intra = inside ●inter = between